The Golden Chariot

Flying with British Airways from London to Mumbai on the daytime flight meant I could see four movies that were on my to-see list, so the flight passed quickly! The arrival into Mumbai at half-past midnight was not what I had expected though as the airport was in chaos. We had landed at the new Terminal 2 at Mumbai airport, which had opened just two days before. The wait to pass through immigration was 45 minutes but thankfully the new terminal’s air conditioning was working a treat!

I was met by a driver holding a large and unmissable Railbookers welcome board on leaving the terminal and was soon in my car being driven to the Taj Palace Hotel in downtown Mumbai. The word Palace really does sum up the Taj! The outdoor swimming pool was a blessing as temperatures were in the low 30s and it was quite humid as well. After two nights in Mumbai, it was time to head to the south of India to Bengarula (Bangalore). Bengarula’s airport is a new one and is some 35 kilometres out of the city. Fortunately, as it was a Sunday, I missed the famous traffic and arrived at the Taj Westend Hotel quite quickly. The check-in for the luxury private train, the Golden Chariot, takes place at the Taj Westend, so it is a good hotel to base yourself the night before. Again the Taj hotel met expectations and exceeded in terms of the grounds of the hotel which are an oasis of calm in busy Bangalore.

At 4 pm I wandered to the check-in for the Golden Chariot and was met by two of the train’s friendly crew, Sree and Mary. After check-in, High Tea was served - an opportunity to meet fellow passengers before a presentation by the train manager about the forthcoming journey followed by a dance display which gave a real flavour of the local culture. After the display, we were driven through the infamous Bangalore traffic to the Golden Chariot. On arrival at Yeshwanthpur, Bangalore’s second station, we were greeted by a small music group playing some great atmospheric music and a traditional greeting of a marigold garland and a bindi on the forehead. Once onboard we were welcomed in the bar with a drink to toast the success of the trip and then introduced to the staff of the train. There are four cabins per carriage with either twin or double beds. The en-suite bathroom with shower, washbasin and WC was spacious and stocked with decent toiletries, a hairdryer was in the bedroom. As I was travelling alone, I had the advantage that I could use the unused other twin bed as my wardrobe! There is a small wardrobe for hanging a limited amount of clothes and numerous drawers for storage. I noticed that other cabins with two people saw bags being partially unpacked and then stored beneath the beds. Dinner was served in the restaurant car at 20.15 with a mixture of Indian and international cuisines.

After a good night’s sleep, breakfast was served, after morning tea was served in my cabin – a very civilised way to start any day! The first days touring covered Mysore and Kabini with the day starting with a short walk to the Mysore Rail Museum which was quaint. After the rail museum coaches were boarded for a two-hour drive to the jungle national park of Kabani where on arrival we had an al fresco lunch with a gentle breeze from the lake keeping things cool. We should have been staying at the jungle resort but unfortunately, the Government of Karnakita had requisitioned the resort for a meeting so after lunch we did a safari through the jungle, which would normally be done the following morning. The jungle is home to tigers, leopards, monkeys, crocodiles, sloth bears, wild dogs, chital and sambar deer, and elephants. We were very lucky and saw a herd of elephants at a watering hole as well as a crocodile but as it was in the heat of the afternoon none of the other animals was in evidence.

On the third day, we had a leisurely breakfast and left the train at 10 am to head to Mysore Palace where we spent the morning exploring the home to the erstwhile royal family of Mysore. Lunch was taken back on board the train and then the afternoon was taken up visiting Srirangapatna. This area is one of great religious, cultural and historic importance and gave a fascinating insight into what life must have been like back in the Middle Ages. For example, the Ranganathaswamy Temple was built in the 9th century, then strengthened and improved in the 12th century, giving it a mix of Hoysala and Vijayanagara temple architectural styles. Moving forward in time, the Daria Daulat Bagh was built in 1784, made of teak with very ornate frescoes. There is so much to take in both in terms of the visual delights and the fascinating history of the area being brought to life by an excellent guide. All the guides were top-notch throughout the journey. After today’s tours, there was time for a shopping interlude before dinner, which was hosted at the Lalitha Mahal Palace overlooking Mysore – a great end to an excellent day. The train remained in Mysore station overnight, so a good night’s sleep was had by all. The train had an early start the next morning. Breakfast was taken whilst trundling through the Indian countryside – there really is nothing better than dining on a train as it passes through lovely scenery. A hearty breakfast was recommended this morning as we were heading out for Shravanabelagola, an important Jain pilgrim centre, to climb Indragiri Hill and visit the huge Lord Bahubali monolith statue. Half the group did the climb up the hill, which was very strenuous; the other half enjoyed themselves on the train. After reaching the summit, we sat in the shade drinking coconut water direct from the coconut, which was very welcome! After lunch back on board, we made our way to Halebidu to visit the Hoysealeswara Temple dating from the 12th century, with a wealth of very detailed sculptures depicting scenes from Hindu mythology.

The next stop was Belur, the early capital of the Hoysala Empire, which is the home of one of the highlights of Karnataka, the Chennakesava temple complex. Yet again, this was a mind-blowing experience. You have to respect the skill and patience of the artisans who built and decorated the temple. Driving back to the train, we passed ginger being harvested and washed on the road which was just one aspect of rural India that makes it such an interesting country. Arriving back at the train, most people headed to the bar for a quick drink before going to their cabins to freshen up before dinner. For dining on the train, there is no dress code with most people going quite casual, for example, men did not wear a jacket or tie. The dining car was abuzz with anticipation of the following day’s excursion to the ancient site of Hampi. An 8:30 am departure from the train at Hospet allowed for a morning visit to Hampi before the midday heat which, at the time of year is very sapping. We visited Hemakuta Hill, the Virupaksha Temple, Hampi Bazaar, Royal Enclosure, Elephant Stables and the Hazara Rama Temple which are all part of the former capital of the Vijayanagara Empire and are UNESCO listed as the “Group of Monuments at Hampi”. The Virupaksha Temple has a 49-metre tower at its entrance and is a Lord Shiva temple and also has shrines to Bhuvaneshwari and Pampa. The sheer scale of the temple and the surrounding complex really is incredible. In fact, it is quite hard to describe the sheer scale and beauty of the site. This huge archaeological site is still being explored and a recent discovery is the Krishna Temple complex with restoration work still taking place. As the heat of the day started to increase and the sun beating down, it was time to retreat back to the calm and cool oasis of the train to have lunch and a siesta before our afternoon tour. Heading back into the heat was quite a shock to the system after snoozing in air-conditioned bliss on the train, but this was soon forgotten as we headed back to Hampi and the Vittalan Temple Complex which contains the “Golden Chariot” which is the symbol of Karnataka Tourism and is an awe-inspiring sight. About an hour was spent exploring the temple complex and then we were driven by electric buggies down to the Tungabhadra River for a sunset coracle ride – it was very peaceful and a great way to see the sunset over the ancient site of Hampi. The Golden Chariot trip has special access to the Vittalan Temple once the gates have closed for the day and we were treated to a light show which was a very special treat and a great way to end the day. In the early hours of the following morning, the train headed off towards Badami and its famous caves. Before visiting the caves we stopped at the village of Pattadakal on the banks of the Malaprabhana River with its historic 8th-century temples, which are an early example of the Vesara style of Hindu temple architecture. There were no other people at the temple complex which was good as the whole area is very relaxed and allows time to contemplation. After the temple complex, we drove for 45 minutes through rural countryside with peanuts, sunflowers and sugar cane being grown to Badami and its cave complex. The cave temples were sculpted between the 6th and 8th centuries and reflected the secular nature of the rulers of the Badami Chalukyas, with the caves variously being dedicated to Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu and Jain Tirthankaras. After exploring the caves we headed back to the train for lunch and our journey through the Western Ghats towards Goa. Dinner was on board the train and there was a great atmosphere in the restaurant cars as half the passengers were saying goodbye the following day and staying in Goa and half of us were returning to Bangalore – memories of the trip were exchanged and contact details swapped and the team onboard the train toasted and well deserved it was! The penultimate day of the tour had us arriving at the Goan station of Vasco da Gama, a giveaway of Goa’s colonial heritage. After breakfast we headed out to explore old Goa with its churches and its very un-Indian feel, to me it felt more Brazilian than Indian. Driving south through Goa, we headed for a beach resort to have lunch and relax on the beach and what an impressive beach it was! I understood why some of the passengers were leaving the train and spending more time in Goa. Afternoon tea was served at the resort and then we drove back to the train which was awaiting us in Vasco da Gama Station. Dinner this evening was a little subdued as half the passengers had left and for the rest of us it was our last night of what had been an outstanding trip, which was nearly over. A mid-morning arrival into Bangalore had us saying fond goodbyes to the train crew and fellow passengers. The trip was over but definitely, will not be forgotten, and I’m sure I will keep my memories of Karnataka for years to come.